Easy Kiddo, Easy!
by JustAnotherSensitiveArtist
Summary: Tyler sighed, rolling his shoulders; time to find his clothes, and after clothes, the Gilbert boy.


It had been an easy battle. A new wolf pack had begun encroaching on the territorial borderlines and Jewels had insisted that they go out and protect their land. She was possessive like that. Still, worried that there might be complications, she had asked Bonnie and Caroline to come along, simply to show the other wolves that there was more than one type of supernatural being in Mystic Falls who would be willing to protect the town. Then stupid Jeremy had insisted that he needed to come along. Never mind the fact that he was useless in a fight or that he and Bonnie had broke up the previous month, he still had some odd sense of loyalty that demanded that he go with her to ensure that no harm would befall her. Dumb kid.

When the actual fighting had started (which had been late, very close to the sunrise where the wolves would be forced to transform back) Caroline, Bonnie, and Jeremy had been instructed to leave the area. They were never meant to get involved, only to show the power that backed the wolves, however, the battle field quickly expanded as the wolves fought and the "civilians" became caught up in the scuffle. Caroline had offered to carry Bonnie and Jeremy out with super speed but she could only take one at a time. Of course, Jeremy had demanded that Bonnie go first. Caroline got her out of the woods without trouble but when she had returned for Jeremy the fighting had grown more intense. Jewels had snapped and snarled, forcing the vampire to back away. She was not going to endanger the young vampire; the Salvatore's would have her head if anything happened to one of their kind in a dispute that was primarily of the lycanthropes. Jeremy was lost somewhere in the sea of furry thrashing bodies but Jewels had no intention of allowing the vampire to find him. Caroline had been forced to leave without him.

She had taken Bonnie home and then sent Tyler a frantic text hoping he would check his phone the second he had transformed back, "Ty, please, Jeremy is still out there. Don't let him get hurt. Find him!"

Tyler was pleased with the outcome of the fight. His pack had clearly one and there had been no casualties on either side. It had really just been a show of dominance. The other wolves had fled and now the sun rose, warming his body as he transformed. He had then stretched and walked casually to his truck where he had stashed all his stuff. As soon as he opened the door he saw his phone buzz in the cup holder and read Caroline's message, "Damn it! Just like Jeremy," he thought angrily.

Tyler sighed, rolling his shoulders; time to find his clothes, and after clothes, the Gilbert boy. He dressed quickly, finding it strange that he was feeling so anxious about the kid, and then began to jog across the area that had been the fighting grounds.

"Jeremy!" he called out loudly but heard no reply. He continued to run, spurred on by a feeling that something was wrong.

He had almost run the entire perimeter when at last he saw the boy. Jeremy lay crumpled at the base of a tree. Tyler sprinted to him and knelt down, sweeping Jeremy's hair out of his face and glancing up and down his body to see if there were any injuries. The boy was battered and bruised but it wasn't anything life threatening.

"Figures," Tyler muttered, "No one else got hurt but somehow you did! Dude, you weren't even fighting!" and he laughed slightly but his amusement quickly turned to concern when the kid didn't move or reply with some sarcastic remark.

"Hey, Jeremy," he said, giving him a gentle shake.

Jeremy groaned and his eyelids fluttered but he still didn't wake up.

"Jeremy!" Tyler said louder, patting the boy's check rather roughly.

Jeremy's eyes opened and he looked around in confusion and then tried to sit up, letting out a low moan. Tyler grabbed his shoulders and helped him sit up against the tree, fighting to stay calm as Jeremy gritted his teeth in pain.

"Woe, take it slow!" Tyler said, still supporting the boy.

"Lockwood? What happened?" then Jeremy flinched and dropped his head into his hands, rubbing slightly.

"You don't remember? Somehow you got mixed up in the fight. Caroline couldn't get you out. Looks like you got thrown around pretty good," Tyler said, pulling Jeremy's arm away from his face to inspect the bruises that adorned it. He then winced in sympathy; the poor kid was pretty banged up. "Okay, let's get you out of here,"

Jeremy looked even more confused, "Wait… Tyler, why are you here you don't even…" but he was cut off, forced to bite back a cry as Tyler lifted him to his feet.

"Easy kiddo! Easy!" Tyler exclaimed, grabbing Jeremy around the waist as the younger boy swayed and let out a couple panting gasps. "I've got you, it's okay,"

Jeremy closed his eyes and leaned heavily on Tyler, fighting down the rising nausea and trying to get the world to stop spinning. After several long moments he looked up at Tyler through his lashes.

"Why are you helping me?" he panted, "Why… why are you being so nice?"

"Don't read in to it too much Gilbert," Tyler said, rolling his eyes, "Everyone freaked when Caroline had to leave you. They're all really worried. Anyway, you needed help and I was here. Now, let's get you back to your place," but secretly Tyler knew it was more than that. He too had been worried when he realized Jeremy had been caught up in the chaos. He felt protective of the younger boy and he had to admit that seeing Jeremy injured made him A) want to get him medical attention and B) go kick the asses of those stupid wolves who had hurt the human.

Getting Jeremy back to Tyler's truck turned out to be quite the ordeal. Jeremy refused to be carried and had swatted Tyler away when he had tried, practically causing himself to fall over. His pride and stubbornness would not allow him to be taken care of in that way and yet his physical injuries were to the point where he could barely stand. He would inch forward several steps with Tyler's arm still wrapped securely around his waist and then stop, leaning into the other boy while panting for breath until the pain subsided.

At last Tyler could bare seeing Jeremy struggle no longer. He grabbed Jeremy's arm and swung it over his shoulders then tightened his grip on the boy's waist, lifting him until his feet barely touched the ground. All of Jeremy's weight was on Tyler but the boy remained upright with his feet on the ground. Then they moved forward much faster, Jeremy shuffling his feet but never really needing to.

When they at last got to the truck Tyler frowned down at Jeremy, "Okay, let's get you in,"

Jeremy grabbed on to the door handle and tried to pull himself up but it was no use, he simply had no strength, and once again he almost fell. Tyler caught him as gently as he could but the boy still cried out.

"You gonna let me help you now?" Tyler asked, his voice rising in exasperation.

Jeremy nodded his head slightly, closing his eyes in submission.

Tyler suddenly felt horrible for losing patience with Jeremy, he was after all weak and vulnerable and no one could blame him for trying to keep his dignity.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get angry. You're hurt alright?" he asked, waiting for the boy to nod, which Jeremy did, "Now let me help you before you make it worse," and with that he gently lifted Jeremy into the passenger's seat, even pulling the seat belt across his chest and buckling it before closing the door and going to the driver's side.

They drove to the Gilbert's house in relative silence, the only noise being Jeremy's sharp inhalations as they hit bumps in the road. Tyler parked in the front and helped Jeremy out, displeased when he once again refused to be carried. They made it to the porch after several painful minutes and then in the front door.

"Jenna?" Jeremy called weakly then, "Elena?" but no one answered and the house was awfully quiet.

"Jenna! Elena!" Tyler shouted loudly but there was still no reply. Jeremy suddenly went totally limp in Tyler's grasp. He slumped forward dejectedly and Tyler scrambled to keep him upright.

"Woe, woe, woe, woe! Easy, just stay with me. Jeremy?" he took the younger boy's chin and lifted his head up. Despite the hair that hung in Jeremy's eyes, Tyler could see the tears that glistened in them.

"I… they… no one's here… I thought they'd be here,"

"It's okay Jeremy,"

"No, it's not. I need them. I need help," and with that Jeremy broke into wracking sobs that doubled him over.

This time Tyler didn't give a damn about Jeremy's pride. He scooped the boy up and hurried up the stairs to Jeremy's room. He carefully and gently laid Jeremy out on the bed and rushed to the bathroom to find something to help.

"Tyler!" Jeremy gasped from the room and he turned and ran back to the bedside.

Jeremy was crying so hard that he had begun to cough. He had sat up but his whole body shook and one hand covered his mouth. The other reached desperately for Tyler, showing the reason for Jeremy's panic. The boy's palm was coated in dark blood.

Tyler immediately turned and ran into the bathroom, ignoring Jeremy's as he cried out again, "Tyler!"

Tyler flung open the medicine cabinets, scanning the labels and at last selecting a prescription grade pain killer and some general over the counter stomach medicine. He then grabbed the empty wastebasket, filling it with cold water, and several washcloths. Sprinting back, he deposited these items on the nightstand, returned to the bathroom to get a glass of water, and then sprinted back again.

Jeremy was in a full-blown panic, continuing to cough up blood into his hands which were both cupped around his mouth and sobbing desperately, flinching at the pain that each sob caused. Tyler grabbed a washcloth and shoved it beneath Jeremy's hands. He then took a wet cloth and draped it around Jeremy's neck, leaving his hand there to force the boy's head down to the point where he was sitting up but his head was leaned so forward that his forehead touched the comforter. Tyler climbed on the bed behind him and put his hands on Jeremy's shoulders.

"Okay dude, just breath. You're freaking yourself out now. Everything will be okay, just calm down," Tyler said, continuing to mumble until, at last, Jeremy's breathing seemed to return to normal and his shaking and sobs stopped.

Tyler then used his grip on Jeremy's shoulders to bring the boy up from his doubled over position and then to lay him slowly back against the pillows. Tyler looked at Jeremy's face which was speckled and smeared with flecks of blood and his hands that were completely covered in it. He took the cloth from Jeremy's neck and slowly cleaned the blood away, starting with Jeremy's hands and then moving to his face.

With an exhausted sigh, Jeremy whispered, "Thank you…"

"Not a problem," Tyler answered coolly. "Here, can you take these?" he asked, handing two pain pills and one for nausea to Jeremy, who took them in shaking hands. Tyler helped him sip some water and swallow the pills and then he sat down on the bed beside Jeremy.

The medicine soon kicked in and the younger boy was asleep. Tyler found himself dozing on and off as well.

Tyler awoke to the sound of rapid panting and a slight shuffling beside him. He sat up and leaned over to check on Jeremy, immediately feeling awful for falling asleep. Jeremy panted and ground his teeth together audibly. His fists clenched in the sheets and his eyes were slammed shut.

"Shit," Tyler whispered then, "Jeremy?... Jer?" Hoping Elena's pet name for her kid brother might make him feel better. Jeremy moaned and tightened his grip on the sheets, gritting his teeth.

"Hey, take it easy kiddo. Tell me what's wrong,"

Jeremy answered, "Head… sore… everything _hurts_," then, "Ty… please…help me!"

Tyler grabbed the pain pills but then put them down after reading the label; Jeremy was not allowed to have anymore for at least a few hours. He hurried into the bathroom and grabbed more towels, dampening them before returning to the bed. He felt Jeremy's brow, _God the kid was on fire! _He then pulled Jeremy's shirt of and lay the cold towel across his chest. It was while he was adjusting the towel that he felt it: all of the muscles beneath his hand were rock hard, pulled taught in some sort of giant spasm that seemed to span Jeremy's entire body.

"Calm down, try to relax," Tyler said, attempting to keep his voice level despite the fear he was feeling.

"Can't," Jeremy panted and Tyler could hear the desperation in his voice, "'s like a cramp… everywhere… fucking hurts!" Tyler felt panic rising up in him again. He could hear the tears in Jeremy's voice, hear the agony. If he didn't get the boy calmed down soon they were going to have a replay of the coughing spell that had left him hacking up blood.

Reluctantly, he crawled into the bed behind Jeremy.

"Jeremy, I'm going to try something to help… trust me, this isn't going to be easy for either of us…"

"Do something… anything… _please_," Jeremy panted.

"You see my aunt used to be a message therapist when she lived in California and…"

"_Lockwood_! Help me!" Jeremy cried, the pain so intense it made him want to pass out.

"Okay," Tyler said, laying his hands on Jeremy's bare back. He began to knead gently, unsure if it would help but willing to try. At first Jeremy just bit down on his lip and tried to ride out the waves of pain with out crying but at last the treatment began to have some effect. Tyler could feel the muscles beneath his hand slowly relaxing and he began to rub harder, pushing deeper. Jeremy moaned and tried to pull away but Tyler held him still whispering, "Easy, it's okay. I won't hurt you. Just hold on, this will make you feel better," and Jeremy gave in, already feeling some relief.

Tyler continued his treatment, working hard on Jeremy's back and shoulders and then lightening up to trace gentle patterns over his pale skin. He kneaded away the tension and rubbed away the knots and Jeremy slowly began to feel better beneath his touch. When Tyler stopped Jeremy let out a low moan, desiring for the strong hands to return and steal away the pain.

"Better?" Tyler asked softly.

"Yes," Jeremy answered, "Still sore though," and he was but at least now his muscles weren't straining as if they would become taught enough to explode. Jeremy shook his head to clear it and then immediately wished he hadn't. His headache flared and he found himself groaning, returning his head to his hands.

Tyler leaned forward, concerned, "You okay? What's wrong? Your head isn't it? I think you probably hit it…" he inspected the back of Jeremy's head and sure enough there was a bump.

"Here," Tyler said, pulling Jeremy up against his own body, "We'll try more of the same, though I'm not sure it will work," and with that he began to rub small circles on Jeremy's temples with his fingers. He even worked his way back, massaging the base of Jeremy's skull before returning to his temples again.

"Thank you," Jeremy murmured, "For everything…"

"Of course," Tyler answered with a slight smile and then added, "Are you okay? Is there anywhere else that hurts?"

Jeremy just sighed sadly, "Just sore,"

Tyler took Jeremy's arm and began dragging his finger tips up and down over his forearm. "Does this help?" he asked.

"Ummm," Jeremy answered, closing his eyes and pushing in to the touch.

Tyler smiled and looked down at the boy, glad to see that after such a rough time he was smiling too.

**So what did you guys think? Like it? Hate it? Please read and review! I love your feedback!  
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